McDonald’s Puts Fresh Beef to the Test

In his April 22, 2016, Q1 earnings call with analysts, McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook proclaimed the chain’s dedication to “innovating to address customers’ changing demands.” Some innovations are small, such as buttering English Muffin halves. And some changes are big. Very big.

In 14 stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth market–according to a report in Nation’s Restaurant News–McDonald’s is testing something very different: fresh rather than frozen ground beef. The test involves only quarter-pound patties used in the single and double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Bacon Clubhouse burger and Texas regional offering the Homestyle Burger.

Dallas and Columbus, Ohio, also are the proving grounds for McDonald’s test of a third-pound Grand Mac and smaller Mac Jr. burger. That test runs through June 6.

“Beyond All Day Breakfast and value, we’re pursuing additional opportunities to fuel momentum,” Easterbrook said in April. “This includes further enhancements of our core menu items to: improve quality perceptions of our food; sustaining our heightened focus on operations, especially in our drive-thrus, to improve accuracy and speed of service; and additional opportunities to simplify our menu and the overall restaurant experience for our customers and crew.”

Other McDonald’s market tests of note include the San Diego tryouts for two Breakfast Bowls (Scrambled Egg & Chorizo and Egg White & Turkey Sausage), the “ChefCrafted” and “Signature Crafted” customization platforms and chicken sausage as a breakfast-sandwich protein.

Can’t hurt I guess. I have tried just about every burger everywhere, high to low priced and at the end of the day Five Guys is the overall best. There is one burger that I consider the best and that is Poochies char burger in Skokie, Illinois but that is only a one store operation. Even Jack in the Box and Carl’s Jr have some damn good burgers these days.